The statements come one day after UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting that Bisping is to be disciplined for his actions that night.

Cameras caught Bisping flipping off Rivera’s corner after he threw an illegal knee that prompted a brief stoppage to the bout in the first round. The Brit was also seen spitting at, or in the direction of, Rivera’s corner moments after he earned a win by TKO in the second round.

Despite being badly rocked by the knee, Rivera chose to continue after the illegal strike in the first round. Bisping later said the knee was unintentional and apologized for spitting in front of Rivera’s corner.

However, Rivera’s management said there was nothing unintentional with the strike.

“A professional fighter knows better,” stated Rivera manager Lex McMahon. “He secured a Muay Thai clinch on Rivera while both of his knees were on the ground, chambered his leg, and threw the strike. A professional fighter knows when to pull the trigger on a strike and when not to, so the statement that it was unintentional is baseless.

Rivera’s management asked both the UFC and the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, which oversaw this past Sunday’s contest, to issue a fine and/or a suspension to Bisping.

“The joke is after all the efforts the Rivera camp made to create this situation, it was them who complained afterwards – not us,” wrote Wolfslair head Anthony McGann in a statement released to MMAjunkie.com on Thursday evening. “We have more respect for the UFC and did not want to make an issue of their behavior.”

McGann said Rivera’s boxing coach Matt Phinney and others from the fighter’s entourage escalated an already tense situation prior to the contest when the opposing teams crossed paths at the hotel that hosted the fighters.

“Fighters are staying in close proximity for over a week,” McGann wrote. “Normally the fighters will be tense with their opponent, but the teams always remain neutral and polite. Rivera’s crew were mocking Mike and laughing at him.”

McGann blames the run-in for a clash at the weigh-ins in which an emotional Bisping had to be separated from Rivera.

“Throughout, the catalyst was Phinney,” McGann wrote. “In fact, Rivera had two more coaches who never participated in any of this – they did act professional. It was always Rivera and Phinney.”

McMahon said McGann’s statements are hypocritical in light of Bisping’s behavior.

“Coming from someone who has been recorded on video spitting directly at and on Phinney, making obscene gestures and using homophobic slurs toward him – this it the pot calling the kettle black.

“Mr. McGann’s accusations about Phinney’s conduct are simply untrue, and we feel that this is his attempt at damage control in light of the impending punishment being levied against Bisping by the UFC, and the irrevocable shame that his name will forever be linked with.”

Phinney is featured prominently in four videos released prior to the fight by Ranger Up, an MMA apparel company that sponsors Rivera, and in several of them he impersonates Bisping. Rivera initially said the videos were meant to entertain fans but later added they were meant to throw Bisping off his game.

In an interview with MMAjunkie.com prior to the fight, Bisping said he was aware of the intention behind the videos but said Rivera and co. crossed the line by attacking both his family and heritage.

“He’s criticized me and ridiculed me for being English,” said the 31-year-old fighter, who also blogged about the fight on his official website, Bisping.tv. “He’s being racist – let’s be honest. If he was making fun of me because I was Jewish or black, there would be an uproar. But because I’m English, that’s OK. He’s out of order, and I’m going to make him pay for it.

“He’s acting like a child. He’s 38 years old; you’d think he’d know better. I’m just getting on with my training and trying to prepare accordingly. Whereas he’s selling his soul for the sake of a few YouTube hits. Ultimately, he’s making a fool out of himself … acting like a retard. Good luck to him.”

The camps behind Rivera and Bisping also disagree on the intention behind the videos. McGann said they were designed to promote the Ranger Up brand and “goad [Bisping] into a brawl.” McMahon said their aim was to promote the fight and “force emotional reactions from Bisping.”

“They were not intended to insult anyone no matter how intercontinental slang is used,” McMahon wrote.

A furious Bisping demanded an apology at the conclusion of the fight, and the two briefly embraced before Rivera denied attacking the Brit’s family in the videos. In his post-fight speech, Bisping apologized for his behavior. He did so again at the post-event press conference, though he called the request to suspend and fine him “classless.”

McGann echoed Bisping’s post-fight statement the illegal knee that brought so much controversy was unintentional. Again, though, he claims Phinney aggravated the situation during the break in action.

“While Rivera was recovering, Phinney was shouting obscenities [at] Mike, (and) if you look, you can see Mike give him the finger in reply,” McGann wrote. “He was also hurling abuse at our cornermen. “Mike was still emotional and asked Rivera for an apology, (and) still Phinney was shouting abuse and Mike replied to him; [he] did spit but on the floor in his direction (and) not on him.”

According to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, corner interference is a foul that can draw a point deduction. Bisping was penalized one point for his illegal knee when the bout resumed in the first round.

White has yet to determine Bisping’s punishment for the incident. McGann hinted that sanctions may apply to the other team, as well.

“I believe that after this we won’t be hearing much of Mr. Phinney any more,” he wrote.

McMahon, however, said the incident and its fallout will have a different effect.

“Future opponents now have a glaring weakness in Bisping’s game to focus on-his inability to control his temper,” he wrote. “In terms of the promotion aspect of the videos, more fans tuned in to watch Bisping vs. Rivera than were expected, and now Mr. Bisping has exactly what he wanted in the first place – three middleweight contenders calling him out.

“His profile has been pushed higher than it ever has been, and he will get the fight he wanted with top tier contenders. He no longer has to chase them. They are knocking on his door, so he will profit from the marketing campaign launched for this fight.

“We all feel the incidents that unfolded in Sydney are unfortunate and ugly. It’s not good for MMA or the reputations of the fighters involved, and we look forward to moving past this.”

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